The historic centre of Acre (modern day Akko), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is perhaps the best-preserved old town in Israel, second only to Jerusalem.

A alley in Acre (Akko) old town

Acre was taken by the Crusaders at the very end of the 11th Century to be their main port in the Holy Lands. After the capture of Jerusalem by Muslim armies in the 13th Century, it became the primary stronghold of the Templars, an order of Crusader knights. Acre was eventually the last Christian fortress in the region. Its fall in 1291 marked the end of the Holy Land Crusades.

Crusader courtyard built by the Hospitaller Knights

After almost 400 years of near dereliction, Acre was reoccupied by the Ottomans in the 18th Century. Most of the current old town dates back to this period, although much of it, including the imposing citadel, was built using the ruins of the Crusader city as foundations.

Ottoman Citadel built on top of the Hospitaller Knights’ Fortress

The street level of the old Templar town is about 25 feet below the current one. As a result, many Crusader buildings still survive, buried beneath the Ottoman city. Over the last few decades, ongoing excavations have revealed some of these structures, many of which are remarkably well preserved.

One of the excavated Crusader halls

One of the highlights of Acre’s subterranean Crusader city is a tunnel that once connected the Templars’ fortress in the west to the port in the east.

The eastern end of the Templar Tunnel

Mind your head! Sue in the tunnel

The lower part of the tunnel is cut directly into the bedrock

The graceful arched roof is built from smooth-sided stone blocks

Towards its western end, the tunnel splits in two

Today, the excavated smooth-sided tunnel stretches almost a quarter mile, from the modern lighthouse to the imposing Ottoman Khan al-Umdan (Hostel of the Pillars), which served as a kind of warehouse and hostel for merchants.

15 Responses to The Templar Tunnels of Acre, Israel

Wonderful post, Jaspa. Israel is such an interesting place and I’m so glad I can see its wonders through your blog. Jaspa’s Journey novels should be worth a read, but do I qualify as a reader at age 81 in March? 🙂